Introduction
Prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping are common in an organization and each one of them has its effects which directly or indirectly influence an organization. Prejudice can be described as having an adverse attitude towards a group of people or an individual. Prejudice may crop up as a result of racism or on basis of one’s color of skin. A stereotype may be defined as a popular conviction regarding a particular category of persons. A stereotype can either be positive or negative and hence having both optimistic and unenthusiastic effects on an organization (Clements 2006). Discrimination refers to the instance of treating another individual or a group of people in a less approving way. Discrimination in an organization may be a result of the difference in race, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender, or religion.
Main Body
There are different methods as well as training procedures for reducing prejudice, discrimination, and stereotype in an organization. This can be attained through leaders of an organization educating people to become more compassionate to others or to the members of other groups (Cox 1993). The following are some of the methods utilized to reduce prejudice, discrimination, and stereotype in an organization;
- Creating peoples’ awareness of the discrepancies in their own attitude.
- Ensuring that there is augmented contact with members of other social groups.
- Ensuring public support as well as awareness for anti-prejudice social standards.
- Imposing laws and policies that require equal and just treatment for all persons and groups of people.
- Recruiting managers, executives, and board members of diverse races and cultures.
- Employing and hiring an ethnically and racially varied staff.
- Talking to people of color among the staff so as to know the kind of barriers they encounter in the organization.
- Formulating a committee that will aid in fighting racism in the organization.
These efforts employed in an organization will help in eliminating racism which is one of the major barriers to development in any organization. Having leaders with the potential of enforcing various methods, an organization is in a position to excel and produce the expected results (Clements 2006). This is because the people or the groups of people in the organization will be free from discrimination, stereotype as well as prejudice.
As a leader, I have experience in this kind of training and methods and in my view, this kind of practice is crucial to all members of an organization (Cox 1993). This is because one is able to relate to all people regardless of race, gender, or age hence good outcomes are produced in the organization, and prejudice, stereotype, and discrimination are rare.
My organization would ensure that all staff members as well as the leaders are trained on the effects of discrimination, stereotype, and prejudice. With the skills, they will be better-positioned to work together towards a common goal hence better organizational results. Recruiting and employing staff regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, or religion (Davis 1967). Ensure closer contacts between the leaders and staff in the organization. Ensuring that there is an open forum where the staff members are free to put forward their grievances as well as the changes that they would wish to have in the organization.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would emphasize that organizations ought to seriously examine how collectively and separately, the organizational practices, structures, and processes serve to bring about prejudice, discrimination, and stereotype. The organization also needs to come up with various methods to fight discrimination, prejudice, and stereotype through workable methods and training.
References
Clements, P., & Jones, J. 2006). The diversity training handbook, 2nd Ed. Philadelphia: Kogan.
Cox, T. (1993). Cultural diversity in organizations: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
Davis , K. (1967). Human relations at work: The dynamics of diversity research. 9th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill.